Anvil Pub and Grille

Editor's Review

Duck into the Anvil for a good meal in a warm, rustic setting.

Tucked into a former 19th-century blacksmith shop in the Cedar Creek Settlement, the Anvil looks cozy and inviting. Inside delivers on that promise. The restaurant oozes ambience and warmth from its thick stone walls, warm woods and black metal accents. While the Anvil is on the small side, you don't feel cramped. Seating is available at one of eight tables on the main level, a spacious, open area including a four-seat bar and the kitchen, where you can watch chefs prepare your meal. Or you can opt to dine in the second floor's lofted area and spy on the kitchen from above.The restaurant serves lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Order everything from lighter salads and burgers ($7-$9) to entrees like flat iron steak and lake perch ($12-$24). The drink menu is similarly balanced, with a nice selection of wine, beer and martinis, all with modest price tags. The brunch menu offers individual dishes like eggs, cinnamon French toast, frittatas and burgers.The restaurant gets kudos for its little touches, like serving you warm bread with regular butter plus a daily specialty, like the Christmastime Tom and Jerry butter flavored with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Sinful, yes, but the Anvil also slices the bread thin so you can indulge without guilt. They also have several inventive dishes, like the popular Anvil Chicken, a bacon-wrapped chicken breast stuffed with chive cream cheese and topped with maple syrup, and the Black and Tan Onion Rings, which are drizzled with stout beer that you can smell and taste. Delicious! You can't go wrong with a meal here. (No reservations accepted.)